UPDATE 4/2: In response to the Senate’s legal action, the Court of Claims judge said that she would not issue a ruling but instead urged the Supreme Court to accept the bypass application to issue a final ruling in the matter. The Supreme Court denied the bypass application but has ordered the Court of Appeals […]
In response to Thursday’s filing of a federal lawsuit from 21 attorneys general from across the nation challenging the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, Michigan Education Association President and CEO Chandra Madafferi; AFT-Michigan President Terrence Martin; Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators Executive Director Tina Kerr; Michigan Association of School Boards Executive Director […]
By Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Education Association President and CEO I’m incredibly proud that a teacher from Michigan was recently selected as the annual winner of a prestigious national educational excellence award, as it highlights that great things are happening in public schools throughout our state. Matt Hamilton, a teacher at East Jordan Middle/High School in […]
Matt Hamilton, a middle-school teacher in Northern Michigan’s East Jordan Public Schools, is the national winner of the NEA Foundation’s 2025 Award for Teaching Excellence — one of the highest honors in public education. Since 2001, the NEA Foundation has conferred the Award for Teaching Excellence annually. This distinguished recognition, which comes with a $25,000 […]
Bipartisan coalition shows we can all work together to improve public schools By Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Education Association President and CEO Michigan students need us to cooperate with one another and help improve our local schools because, despite many innovative public education initiatives across the state, we do not have a system of excellence — […]
MEA members across Michigan are finding new and innovative ways to address the pressing mental health needs of Michigan’s public school educators and their students. Two MEA members — one in West Bloomfield and another in the Upper Peninsula — are taking bold action to help address mental health concerns in the classroom and beyond. […]
By Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Education Association President and CEO UPDATE (Jan. 13, 2025) — The new House leadership has yet to present House Bill 6058 to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her review. This critical legislation, passed by the Legislature last month, would rein in skyrocketing health care costs for teachers, school support staff and other public […]
By Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Education Association President and CEO As we reflect on the recent election results, it’s clear that our country remains deeply divided on many fronts. The diversity of opinions and beliefs that surfaced during this time can sometimes feel overwhelming, and it’s easy to feel uncertain about what lies ahead. Yet during […]
East Jordan teacher Matt Hamilton has been selected as one of only five teachers nationwide to receive this year’s Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence, one of the highest honors in public education. Hamilton, a teacher at East Jordan Middle/High School in Charlevoix County, is the founder and leader of the school’s renowned “Shoe Club.” […]
EAST LANSING — The Michigan Education Association today praised state lawmakers for approving a supplemental education budget providing $125 million in additional funding for school safety and student mental health, as well for passing legislation permanently ending the state’s 3% tax on public school employees. MEA President and CEO Chandra Madafferi, a teacher from Oakland […]
